After speculation that the Phillies were dangling pitcher Cliff Lee for an outfielder likeJustin UptonorJacoby Ellsbury, they did end up trading a starting pitcher for an outfielder. However, that pitcher’s name was not the former Cy Young winner. Vance Worleywas sent to the Minnesota Twins along with minor league pitcherTrevor Mayfor outfielderBen Revere. With Ellsbury and Upton most likely commanding lengthy and expensive contracts in the near future, the Phillies decided to go with a less expensive option. Ben Revere has played about two-thirds of a season each of the past two years with 117 games in 2011 and 124 a year ago. In those two years Revere has shown he can hit for a decent batting average and steal a lot of bases. However, he has proven to hit for almost no power as he has yet to go yard in a major league game. In 2012, Revere batted .294/.333/.342 with an OPS+ of 89 and 40 stolen bases. With his speed and league-leading ground ball percentage (67%), Revere figures to be slotted in the leadoff spot for Charlie Manual’s squad. The one thing that is worry-some for the Phillies is that he does not walk nearly as much as he should. He walked just 29 times last year in 553 plate appearances. Revere is also a great defensive outfielder. Playing some of all three outfield positions in 2012, Revere made zero errors, saved 8 runs and had 8 assists. Revere had a WAR of 2.4 last season and being just 24 years old, the Phillies expect him to improve on that number as he will man center field at the bank in 2013. The Twins biggest problem is pitching, as they were second to last in the American league with a team ERA of 4.77. After tradingDenard Spanto Washington, the Twins have now given up another outfielder for two young pitchers inVance Worleyand Trevor May. Worley has two years of major league experience but has not thrown more than 133 innings in a season yet. He was much better in his rookie year, with an ERA+ of 127, than his sophomore season (95 ERA+). One noticeable difference for Worley was his BABIP. In 2011 batters hit .283 off Worley on balls put into play, and in 2012 his BABIP was .340. This could be a sign of some bad luck for Worley in 2012. He did however not strikeout as many batters in 2012 as he struck out 7.2 batters per nine innings compared to his 8.1 mark in 2011. Overall, this is a nice addition to a Twins rotation that certainly needssome help heading into 2013.

Nick Rabasco

This trade saw another power arm head to Minnesota, this time with Washington state native Trevor May. May entered the season as the Phillies' top prospect. During his breakout 2011 campaign for high A Clearwater, May had a 3.63 ERA and struck out a ridiculous 12 batters per nine innings. However, 2012 was a reality check as May struggled mightily with his control (4.7 BB/9) and home runs (22 HR in 149 innings) in double A Reading. His mid-nineties heat with excellent sink and a plus curveball still allowed him to strike guys out (9 K/9), but not at nearly the rate he was the year prior. Despite his prototypical pitcher's frame (6'5", 220 lbs), he struggled with maintaining his stuff and velocity throughout games, which lead to poor pitch execution (often leading to a home run). This combination of control issues and fatigue could lead him to the bullpen, where his stuff could play up and minimize his shortcomings. If May manages to regain his control, he should be a solid middle of the rotation starter. However, the jury is still out on May's ability to throw strikes, with most feeling a transition to the late innings is inevitable. Regardless, the Twins added a talented pitcher that should help their club in some capacity by 2014.

First Impressions

Winner: Twins: If the trade was just Revere for Worley, this would have about as equal a trade as possible. Although May isn't special per say, his talented arm was enough to swing this trade in favor of the Twins, a team in desperate need of pitching.

Loser: Phillies: Again, not a knock on Revere, but the Phillies really did not need to include a top prospect. Either way, the Phillies got a more than serviceable outfielder that should provide excellent defense and hold his own in the NL East.